 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Paper no. 1085
14.08.2004
ANTI-GAYYOOM REVOLT IN MALDIVES
By B.Raman(To be read in continuation of the earlier article on Violence in Maldives at www.saag.org/papers8/paper798)
Faced with a fast spreading revolt against what is widely perceived as his authoritarian regime, President Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom of the Maldives proclaimed a State of Emergency in Male, the capital of the country, and surrounding areas at 3-20 PM local time on August 13,2004. All communications with the rest of the world have been suspended and all internet service providers have been shut down.
2. He has also ordered the arrests of all his critics and all those advocating political reforms, including many members of the Special Majlis. Among the Special Majlis members reportedly arrested by the much-hated National Security Service (NSS) are Dr Mohamed Munavvar, Burama Gasim, Ibrahim Hussein Zaki, Mohamed Shihab and Ibrahim Ismail (Ibra).
3. The NSS dispersed demonstrating crowds with tear gas and has occupied the buildings of the Ministry of Information and the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital where men and women injured by police violence are being treated.
4. The Emergency Proclamation issued by the President alleged that on the night of August 12,2004, a group of people gathered at the Republic Square and illegally attempted to enter NSS headquarters, set fire to a building and injured a police officer.
5. These allegations have, however, been denied by the opponents of Gayyoom. According to them, some of those advocating political reforms and genuine democracy in the Maldives had started a peaceful protest vigil at the Republic Square on the evening of August 12, 2004.Soon, a large number of people in the capital proceeded to the Square and started a mass demonstration demanding democratic reforms, the release of all detained political prisoners, the resignation of Cabinet Ministers and the President.
6. On the orders of Gayyoom, the NSS rushed to the Square and repeatedly dispersed the protesters by using tear gas. After dispersing, the protesters gathered again and started demonstrating against the President. The protest vigil and the mass demonstrations were triggered off by the arrest of five reform activists since August 9, 2004 ---Mohamed Yoosuf (Fulhu), Ahmed Adam, Abdul Rasheed, Firshan Ahmed Zahir and Hussain Rasheed.
7.Faced with repeated demonstrations, the Government released Fulhu on the night of August 12 and the remaining four on the morning of August 13. This did not satisfy the crowd, which started demanding the release of others who had been arrested before Augst 9, 2004, for criticising Gayyoom. When Ilyas Ibrahim, Minister for Transport, tried to pacify the crowd and persuade it to disperse, the protesters shouted slogans against him and accused him of embezzling millions of dollars from the Fisheries Projects Implementation Department (FPID). They also shouted slogans demanding the resignation of Gayyoom, the State Minister for Defence Anbaree Abdul Sattar and the Commissioner of Police Adam Zahir.
8. When the time for the Friday prayers came, the protesters rejected the demand of the NSS to go to the mosque for prayers and instead prayed in front of the Square. In the meanwhile, fire was noticed in the building housing the Ministry of Justice and one policeman was stabbed by unidentified persons. Thereafter, Gayyoom proclaimed a State of Emergency.
9.The Republic of Maldives has been in a state of unrest for over a year now due to repeated agitations by large sections of Male, which have been accusing the President of ruling dictatorially and suppressing all political dissidents with the help of the NSS. In the face of the continuing agitation for political reforms and under pressure from the UK and the USA, he agreed on June9,2004, to institute political reforms.He conceded to his critics, who had no representation in the Majlis, the right to hold public meetings to voice their demands.But these commitments were not honoured and since the beginning of August, the NSS has again stopped these public meetings and many advocates of reform have been arrested and allegedly tortured.
10. Prominent among those, who are in the forefront of this struggle for democracy, is Naushad Waheed, who is described as a cyber-dissident. He has mastered the use of the Internet for waging a campaign against the Government and keeping the Maldivians in Sri Lanka and the South-East Asian countries informed of the developments in the country. The cyber network set up by Waheed and his associates has enabled the dissidents to ensure a regular and quick flow of information to the outside world.He has been under detention since December 9, 2001.
11.President Gayyoom has till now survived repeated protest movements against his arbitrary rule. It remains to be seen whether he survives the latest movement also.
(The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai, and Distinguished Fellow and Convenor, Observer Research Foundation (ORF), Chennai Chapter. E-mail: corde@vsnl.com )
Home | Papers | Notes | Forum | Search | Feedback | Links
Copyright © South Asia Analysis Group
All rights reserved. Permission is given to refer this on-line document for use in research papers and articles, provided the source and the author's name are acknowledged. Copies may not be duplicated for commercial purposes.